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Topic: Help help help ALS fear!!!!! (Read 728 times)

I've had twitching for over a year but my fears have came back of ALS. It started with w thumb and index finger twitch that didn't go away for a few days. Then the talks of ALS challenges and all the sports players my age that had or have ALS. I'm 30 YOA by the way. Now my calves, forearms are twitching as bad as last year. Last year I was laughed at by two doctors and my family doctor told me it's stress without any neuro tests. Is there anyway I could have ALS without weakness with muscle twitching for over a year? I lift weights fine but have a few injuries including elbow pain in both elbows and a left shoulder injury. Twitching mostly left arm, back, legs, and sometimes right pinky area. Someone with twitching that has insight from a neurologist please reply. I'm at a 10 on the anxiety scale!

Dx: GAD, DESNOS, Fibro and other physical issues. Nothing serious, but of course my anxious mind will often find something very serious as with other things in my life. Anxiety is a fraud. Anxiety is not YOU or ME, it is an illness.

I appreciate the follow up....my only concern is I'm a weight lifter with a good amount of muscle mass. I've got it stuck in my mind that with the amount of muscle mass I do have would it take longer for the weakness to present itself? I do have health anxiety and usually go from disease to disease but ALS is the one that terrifies me the most.

Dx: GAD, DESNOS, Fibro and other physical issues. Nothing serious, but of course my anxious mind will often find something very serious as with other things in my life. Anxiety is a fraud. Anxiety is not YOU or ME, it is an illness.

I appreciate the follow up....my only concern is I'm a weight lifter with a good amount of muscle mass. I've got it stuck in my mind that with the amount of muscle mass I do have would it take longer for the weakness to present itself? I do have health anxiety and usually go from disease to disease but ALS is the one that terrifies me the most.

No it would be MORE noticeable. You actually stress your muscles. If the twitching was a result of ***, you would likely be losing weight, and losing strength noticeable in the weight room. Whole body twitching is not a sign of ***. You are fine. Get some help for the anxiety so you don't have to keep doing this to yourself.

Yeah I was having a panic attack my blood pressure was 165/110 which normally I'm around 115/65 and to have a doctor laugh at my fears made my situation worse. Honestly I haven't stopped body twitching since July last year and ALS has always been in the back of my mind. I'll tell everyone never google symptoms because if you have health anxiety like me there is no looking back after you hit enter. I really wish a neurologist or doctor would do a video or website that would set the record strait with twitching and ALS. So many are in my shoes and it can be debilitating to some with fear of the disease. Thanks again y'all for listening.

"If the incidence of ALS is 2/100,000, two in every 100,000 people are diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease each year. Comparing this number to the age distribution numbers shortly outlined will tell us that the chance of getting Lou Gehrig's disease any particular year, when you are younger than 38, is about 1:165,000,000. Yes, one in 165 million people a year."

One thing I learned the mind is a powerful tool. In my case I've been diagnosed with GAD and health anxiety. I start to pull away from the fear if a current disease and then new symptoms start. Right now I know widespread fast twitching is unlikely ALS. So now I focus on the quick one poppers on my back, shoulders and forearms. I read one post a neurologist told another ALS worrier that the twitches that worry him would be the one twitches per hour areas. And then the weakness how does the weakness present itself with ALS? Is it an immediate onset of being unable to use a limb or a slow decay of muscles over a short period of time. Last month I worried about acute leukemia due to a CBC blood test that came back with low WBC. I've had multiple low WBC test and it was quickly dismissed due to my good health. Other than the anxiety issues and the twitching doctors have told me I'm in better shape than most clients they ever seen.

I feared ALS last year and let it go. It wasn't until recently after a new hotspot and hearing the term ALS with these challenges everywhere I turn I began a new fear of the disease. I live a normal life with a moderate amount of anxiety and stress without medication. It's right now my fears are taking me over the top with my fears. I'm really trying to convince myself I don't need to see my doctor.

One thing I learned the mind is a powerful tool. In my case I've been diagnosed with GAD and health anxiety. I start to pull away from the fear if a current disease and then new symptoms start. Right now I know widespread fast twitching is unlikely ALS. So now I focus on the quick one poppers on my back, shoulders and forearms. I read one post a neurologist told another ALS worrier that the twitches that worry him would be the one twitches per hour areas. And then the weakness how does the weakness present itself with ALS? Is it an immediate onset of being unable to use a limb or a slow decay of muscles over a short period of time. Last month I worried about acute leukemia due to a CBC blood test that came back with low WBC. I've had multiple low WBC test and it was quickly dismissed due to my good health. Other than the anxiety issues and the twitching doctors have told me I'm in better shape than most clients they ever seen.

I feared ALS last year and let it go. It wasn't until recently after a new hotspot and hearing the term ALS with these challenges everywhere I turn I began a new fear of the disease. I live a normal life with a moderate amount of anxiety and stress without medication. It's right now my fears are taking me over the top with my fears. I'm really trying to convince myself I don't need to see my doctor.

The twitches that are concerning? None. No type, to timing of them...how often...how infrequent. Twitches without weakness are not concerning. This is coming from not one neurologist but the best minds in the field. People twitch...my partner who is a neurologist stated to me "I don't chase twitches"...meaning he finds them clinically irrelevant. He relies on a good neuro exam...weakness is concerning...true atrophy is concerning (don't start self examining)...an abnormal reflex exam is concerning. But, even in these cases it's rarely a neuro nasty...it's often a pinched nerve.

Thanks again Shawn I really got myself worked up this time. It's been over 6 months since I had this bad of a fear of ALS. My leg twitches returned as bad as ever and one time pops here and there. I guess it's time to start working on the anxiety again.

Thank you all. This has been quite helpful to me as well. I also have ALS fears that have been quite elevated recently. About 2 weeks ago I increased me Sertraline from 50 to 100mg. I'm still very anxious so I'm thinking it's still from the increase. Let me ask you Cameron - do you know what the odds are for some one who is in their early fifties? Of course I know it's higher than someone in their thirties. I was just wondering.Thanks,NP

I am posting one of my last posts on one of my first in August. As much help I have found this website I also found it keeps my health anxiety on my mind. I was told by a few doctors to stay off forums because you will find what you seek and sometimes it will scare the crap out of you. I don't have ALS but I do have twitching. I don't have weakness but it's time to let my fear go. I enjoy this website and and the great insight I got from ShawnW and others. Ive had health anxiety/hypercondria for 25 years and I've had nearly every fear everyone here has had. It's hard to beat but you need to find your "happy place." Sorry to use from Happy Gilmore but it's true. Mine is my family and I spend entirely too much time on the Internet and forums. My last advice to everyone is find your relief and spend time with the ones you love because life is to short to spend it on the computer all the time. I'll answer any messages this weekend but after tomorrow that is it. Take care everyone and God bless.